Slow, unstable pages
Heavy pages and limited hosting caused slowdowns and outages exactly when campaigns drove the most traffic.
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Fortgate Technologies delivers full-stack IT services, including websites, software, CRM and ERP, cloud, servers and cybersecurity, as one accountable team.
Case Study: E-Commerce
Rebuilding an e-commerce storefront for scale ahead of peak season
An online retailer's store slowed down and crashed during promotions. Ahead of peak season, it needed a faster storefront built to scale, smoother checkout and reliable stock.
Client
Growing direct-to-consumer online retailer
Industry
Timeline & Platform
Delivered before the peak sales season. Headless storefront with scalable hosting.
The Challenge
A storefront that buckled when customers arrived
The retailer's marketing was working, but the store could not keep up. Pages slowed down during promotions, checkout dropped customers and stock levels were often wrong across channels.
Checkout drop-off
A long, clunky checkout with limited payment options was losing customers at the final step.
Inventory out of sync
Stock levels did not update reliably across the website and marketplaces, leading to overselling.
Weak search visibility
Slow performance and thin technical SEO were holding back organic traffic.
Our Solution
A fast, scalable store built for peak demand
We rebuilt the storefront for speed and stability, simplified checkout and connected inventory, then load-tested everything well before the season began.
- 1
Performance-first redesign
Redesigned key pages with fast-loading images, cleaner layouts and server-side rendering.
- 2
Headless storefront
Separated the storefront from the commerce back end so pages load quickly and the design can evolve freely.
- 3
Streamlined checkout
Reduced checkout steps, added wallets and buy-now-pay-later options, and kept payments secure.
- 4
Inventory synchronisation
Connected the store, warehouse and marketplaces so stock levels update automatically.
- 5
Scalable hosting and load testing
Moved to auto-scaling hosting with a CDN and ran load tests at peak traffic before launch.
Technology used
- Next.js
- Headless commerce API
- Payment gateway and wallets
- Inventory sync
- CDN
- Auto-scaling hosting
- Technical SEO
Final Outcomes
Ready for the busiest days of the year
The retailer went into peak season with a store that stays fast under load and makes buying effortless.
Fast and stable
Pages stay quick and the store stays online during promotions and traffic spikes.
Smoother checkout
A shorter checkout with more payment options removes friction at the final step.
Accurate stock
Inventory stays in sync across the website and marketplaces, reducing overselling.
Stronger SEO foundations
Better performance and technical SEO give the store a solid base for organic growth.
Client Benefits
How the retailer benefited
The rebuild turned the website from a bottleneck into a dependable sales channel.
- Marketing campaigns can drive traffic without fear of the store going down
- A better mobile shopping experience for the majority of customers
- Fewer cancelled orders and customer complaints caused by stock errors
- Lower hosting stress through automatic scaling during peaks
- A flexible storefront that is easy to update for new campaigns
This case study describes a representative Fortgate engagement. Client names and confidential details are withheld; ask us for references from completed work.
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